This column comes with a warning from a close friend of The Sun: this drink is “almost too delicious.” He speaks from experience, having spent a recent night downing delicious spiced rum and local cider drinks.

Apple cider is one of my favorite drinks anyway, so I tend to gorge on Cornell orchard’s fantastic product. Cider is a type of apple juice that’s made (traditionally) from apples with lower sugar content and more acidity. In the U.K., cider usually refers to an alcoholic beverage. In the U.S., we aren’t so lucky, so we have to add our own. Spiked cider recipes vary in number of ingredients and difficulty, but I prefer simpler methods. Instead of mixing rum (or whiskey), cider and spices, just add spiced rum.

Hard cider is great cold (right out of the fridge), but I would not recommend it with ice cubes. Two places in Collegetown recently ruined perfectly good cups of cider (with and without alcohol) by adding ice.

For a warm drink, heat cider in large saucepan on medium for about five minutes. Add spiced rum and let simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil (the cider will be bitter and virgin).

If you want to add a little more elbow grease, add non-flavored rum, whole cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon sticks in place of the spiced rum. Cin­namon schnapps also works.

If you have a crock pot (I bought one at the Salvation Army for about $5), you can use that to warm up the drink.

By the way, I know I already did a test on rums (dark rums), but I couldn’t resist testing a few different variations of my favorite fall classic. Incidentally, this taste test had the same winner as the last rum one: Captain Morgan’s Tattoo ($22.49). One person said it tasted like a cola drink, but most people liked the way the dark spiced rum mixed with the warm cider. Sir Francis Drake ($8.99) came in a not-so-close second, and Castillo ($9.59) lost. There were mixed reviews of Admiral Nelson ($11.49). Just a thought for drinks this Home­coming ...

The Sun’s Mixology Editor can be reached at mixology@cornellsun.com. Please Drink Respon­sibly appears Fri­days.